1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electronic test apparatus and particularly to electronic test apparatus for performing functional and fault identification tests of circuit modules with more efficiency and simplicity than has heretofore been possible. More particularly, this invention relates to test apparatus of the type described which is portable, easy to use and adaptable to a variety of test purposes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The circuit tester herein disclosed may be used for testing a variety of electronic devices. A typical application of the invention is for testing digital circuit cards. For such testing purposes, it has in the past been necessary to provide a computer controlled test station including several racks of test equipment. The programming for this equipment required the operator, either on or off line, to write a test procedure combining both system operating instructions and test data in a linear progression from first test to last test with branches on go/no go to fault diagnostic procedures, and further combining operating instructions and data. Recent adaptations of this procedure to microprocessor based systems have resulted in extensive programming requirements and hence complex and cumbersome programs requiring substantial operator training. The apparatus of the invention is structured so that the program operating routines are permanently stored internal to the apparatus, with the programmer being only required to externally program the variables of any program routine. This represents a substantial decrease in programming requirements and a simplified test procedure for a relatively untrained operator to follow.